Top 200 Love Songs from a Modern Lover (as written by Paul)

Every year, it seems around Valentine’s Day, there’s some countdown of the Top Romantic songs of all time. Each time, the top songs sound the same, tripe overplayed sickeningly sweet songs of sentimentality. Inevitably, it doesn’t matter what genre is picked. The songs sound the same—And I don’t want to listen to them.

This year, I vowed to do something different. I combed through various Internet lists and chose those songs I could actually listen to. I looked at lists from the New York Times, VH1, MTV, Epinons.com, Cahl’s Juke Joint, About.com (Country Music) and several year’s worth of Top Valentine songs from DJ Mark Wheat of 89.3 FM The Current. I noted how often the songs were mentioned, sought suggestions from friends, and of course picked some of my favorites. Here are the ones that made the list—with a few awards at the end. I look forward to your response.-- PDW


1. Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash
2. Let's Stay Together
Al Green
3. Let's Get it On
Marvin Gaye
4. Every Breath You Take
Police
5. Unchained Melody
Righteous Brothers
6. At Last
Etta James
7. Try a Little Tenderness
Otis Redding
8. Can't Get Enough of Your Love Baby
Barry White
9. Thank You
Led Zeppelin
10. When a Man Loves a Woman
Percy Sledge
11. The Luckiest
Ben Folds
12. Cupid
Sam Cooke
13. With or Without You
U2
14. Perfect Blue
The Wedding Present
15. Kiss Me on the Bus
The Replacements
16. Jesus Etc.
Wilco
17. Nothing Compares to You
Sinead O'Connor
18. Make Out Club
Unrest
19. Such Great Heights
Iron & Wine
20. This Must Be the Place
Talking Heads
21. Brand New Colony
The Postal Service
22. Ballad for my One True Love
Mason Jennings
23. First Glimmer
Paul Westerberg
24. You're All I Need to Get By
Aretha Franklin
25. Love Minus Zero
Bob Dylan
26. Enjoy the Silence
Depeche Mode
27. Take on Me
A Ha
28. I'll Be Around
The Spinners
29. I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Marvin Gaye
30. Ever Fallen in Love
Buzzcocks
31. Save the Last Dance For Me
Drifters
32. I Walk the Line
Johnny Cash
33. You Send Me
Sam Cooke
34. Thirteen
Big Star

35. Sweet Dreams are Made of These
Eurythmics
36. Wicked Game
Chris Isaak
37. Shelter from the Storm
Bob Dylan
38. In Your Eyes
Peter Gabriel
39. I Will Dare
Replacements
40. Sea of Love
Cat Power
41. Wonderwall
Oasis
42. All I Have to Do is Dream
Everly Brothers
43. Love Will Tear Us Apart
Joy Division
44. Do You Love Me Now
Breeders
45. Hallelujah
Jeff Buckley
46. La La Love You
Pixies
47. He Stopped Loving Her Today
George Jones
48. This Mess We're In
P.J Harvey
49. My Girl
Temptations
50. I Can't Make You Love Me
Bonnie Raitt
51. All the Right Reasons
The Jayhawks
52. Book of Love
Magnetic Fields
53. In My Life
Beatles
54. It Must Be Love
Madness
55. Destiny
Zero 7
56. Let's Go to Bed
The Cure
57. Girlfriend
Mathew Sweet
58. Northern Sky
Nick Drake
59. I'll Be There
Jackson 5
60. Love is Psychadelic
Fantastic Plastic Machine
61. Heroes
David Bowie
62. I Want to Touch You
Catherine Wheel
63. Wonderful Tonight
Eric Clapton
64. Love Me Tender
Elvis Presley
65. Marcel
Run Westy Run
66. Can't Help Falling in Love
Elvis
67. Eight Days a Week
Beatles
68. Superstar
Carpenters
69. Ain't No Sunshine
Bill Withers
70. Like a Hurricane
Neil Young
71. Somersault
Zero 7
72. What Sarah Said
Death Cab for Cutie
73. Always on My Mind
Willie Nelson
74. I Just Called to Say
Stevie Wonder
75. Unforgetable
Nat King Cole
76. Woman
John Lennon
77. Hopefully
My Morning Jacket
78. Creep
Radiohead
79. Marry Me
St. Vincent
80. Tupelo Honey
Van Morrison
81. God Only Knows
Beach Boys
82. Asking Too Much
Ani Di Franco
83. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
The Proclaimers
84. Kiss From a Rose
Seal

85. The One I Love
R.E.M.
86. Valentine's Day is Over
Billy Bragg
87. That's How Strong My Love Is
Otis Redding
88. Love and Affection
Joan Armatrading
89. Happy Together
Turtles
90. ll This Time
Heartless Bastards
91. The Killing Moon
Echo and the Bunnyman
92. Song For You
Leon Russell
93. Love You More
Alexi Murdoch
94. To Sir with Love
Lulu
95. Hey Good Lookin
Hank Williams
96. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Queen
97. Cello Song
Nick Drake
98. Tulips
Bloc Party
99. Good Old Fashioned Lover
Queen
100. Naturals Not in It
Gang of Four
101. Jackie Wilson Said
Van Morrison
102. I Got You (I Feel Good)
James Brown
103. Breathless
Jerry Lee Lewis
104. Dance Me to the End of Love
Leonard Cohen
105. You are the Sunshine of My Life
Stevie Wonder
106. Transatlanticism
Death Cab for Cutie
107. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Carole King
108. Chains of Love
Erasure
109. Losing My Religion
R.E.M.
110. I Got You Babe
Sonny and Cher
111. Up on the Roof
Drifters
112. I've Got a Crush on You
Ella Fitzgerald
113. Harvest Moon
Neil Young
114. I Saw the Light
Todd Rundgren
115. Jeepster
T. Rex
116. Fever
Little Willie John
117. Whatever Lola Wants
Sarah Vaughan
118. I'm Your Puppet
James and Bobby Purify
119. You're the First the Last My Everything
Barry White
120. Sugar Sugar
Archies
121. Romeo and Juliet
Dire Straits
122. Crazy For this Girl
Evan & Jaron
123. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
Solomon Burke
124. The Ship Song
Nick Cave
125. The Look of Love
Isaac Hayes
126. Fairytale of New York
Pogues w/ Kristy MacColl
127. Hootchie Kootchie Man
Muddy Waters
128. Are You Lonesome Tonight
Elvis
129. Cigarettes and Coffee
Otis Redding
130. Chapel of Love
DixieCups
131. Where Do I Begin
Shirley Bassey
132. There is a Light That Never Goes Out
Smiths
133. Secret Heart
Feist
134. Rock Your Baby
Wanda Jackson
135. Girlfriend
Suburbs
136. You're the One that I Want
Grease
137. Back in My Arms Again
Supremes
138. Michelle
Beatles
139. When Something is Wrong with My Baby
Sam and Dave
140. Time in a Bottle
Jim Croce
141. Oh Pretty Woman
Roy Orbison
142. Kentucky Woman
Neil Diamond
143. Do You Realize
The Flaming Lips
144. The Nearness of You
Sarah Vaughan
145. Just to Keep You Satisfied
Marvin Gaye
146. I'm in Love
Wilson Pickett
147. I Can't Stop Loving You
Ray Charles
148. I Want to Be Your Boyfriend
Ramones
149. Strangers in the Night
Frank Sinatra
150. Fortress Around Your Heart
Sting
151. Call Me (Come Back Home)
Al Green
152. Fever
Peggy Lee
153. Dance Me to the End of Love
Madeline Peyroux
154. Big Hunk O Love
Elvis
155. Imagine
John Lennon
156. You've Got a Friend
Carole King
157. Stars
Simply Red
158. Sit Down I Think I Love You
Buffalo Springfield
159. You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman
Aretha Franklin
160. PS You Rock My World
Eels
161. Into My Arms
Nick Cave
162. I'll Be Your Lover Too
Van Morrison
163. Beautiful Day
U2
164. Baby Love
Supremes
165. Moondance
Van Morrison
166. All in Love is Fair
Stevie Wonder
167. Love Song
The Cure
168. Cinnamon Girl
Neil Young
169. Fade Into You
Mazzy Star
170. At My Most Beautiful
R.E.M.
171. I Summon You
Spoon
172. Just My Imagination
The Temptations
173. Stay
Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
174. Oh What A Night For Love
Mel Torme
175. Sugar
Dan Wilson
176. I'd Rather Go Blind
Etta James
177. At this Moment
Billy Vera & the Beaters
178. Always & Forever
Heatwave
179. Single
Everything But the Girl
180. Everlasting Love
Howard Jones
181. Alison
Elvis Costello
182. Lean on Me
Bill Withers
183. He's So Fine
Chiffons
184. I Will Follow Him
Little Peggy March
185. Crazy
Patsy Cline
186. That's How Strong My Love Is
Buddy Miller
187. Tell Her This
Del Amitri
188. My Guy
Mary Wells
190. That's How Much I Need Your Love
Chuck Prophet
191. Head over Heals
Tears for Fears
192. Here There and Everywhere
Beatles
193. Have I Told You Lately
Van Morrison
194. Time of the Seasons
Zombies
195. Being With You
Smoky Robinson
196. Wouldn't It Be Nice
Beach Boys
197. Let My Love Open the Door
M. Ward
198. Reach Out I'll Be There
The Four Tops
199. Missing You
John Waite
200. A Certain Girl
Warren Zevon
Now its awards time:

Songs that Just Missed Making the List

You Are the Everything-REM
Brown Eyed Girl-Van Morrison
Anyone Else But You- Moldy Peaches

Who Would’ve Thunk It-Greg Brown

1,2,3,4 –Feist

Chillout Tent-The Hold Steady

Crazy-Gnarls Barkley

Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) Shania Twain

Forever and Ever Amen- Randy Travis

Kiss Me-Sixpence None the Richer

Best Love Song For a 14 Year Old Boy
1. Yachting Types-The Yachts

2. Is She Really Going Out with Him –Joe Jackson

Top Male Fantasy Songs

1.Sexual Healing—Marvin Gaye

2. Are You Ready for the Sex Girls—Gleaming Spires

3. Teach Me Tiger—April Stevens

4. Music For Boys-Suburbs

5. Hips Don’t Lie-Shakira

Best 12” Love Songs

1.Tainted Love/ Where Did Our Love Go—Soft Cell 8:58

2. Kiss Me—Stephen Tin Tin Duffy 7:28

3. Music For Boys-The Suburbs

Best Novelty Love Song

1. I Like-Heathen Dan
2. I Want My Baby Back
3. Unrequired to the 9th Degree
4. Masochism Tango-Tom Lehrer
5. One More Minute-Weird Al

Minimalist Love Song

1+1<2>

Top Existential Love Song

Beautiful World-Devo

Best Sad Love Song CD’s

1. Rilo Kiley-More Adventurous

2. Buck Owens Collection 1959-1990 v.2

3. Beck-Sea Change